“I have used Sykes cottages for many years now and unfortunately this was our least favourite cottage.”
I will list the positives and negatives. Positives: - very clean - great location for sightseeing - really peaceful and quiet at night - very comfortable beds - upstairs family bedroom nice size Negatives: - downstairs is TINY. As a family of four it felt very cramped, for example we had to rearrange the furniture to extend the table to eat a meal. Pictures of the cottage have been taken in a creative way to hide how small it is. Upstairs bedroom is the same size as kitchen, dining / sitting area and the bathroom put together. We were constantly bumping onto one another. - Water pressure is abysmal, it is close to impossible to take a proper shower - Washing machine is shared with other cottages and located in reception which is locked after 8pm. This might not be an issue for everyone, but I do washing every two days while on holiday so I do not come back home to a huge pile of washing. The washing machine is also used by the cleaner of the other cottages, so on one occasion I came back to find out that someone has turned off my washing mid way through the cycle. - Garden is shared an impossible to enjoy due to it being covered in dog mess, my children found out the hard way on our first day (this is a big no no). Occupants of other cottages let their dogs run free without a lead, doing their business on the garden lawn. - Internet is slow and unreliable - kitchen isn't well equipped if you are trying to cook a real meal, for example the biggest pot nowhere near large enough to cook spaghetti - no mixer tap in kitchen and bathroom, makes it really frustrating to wash up and use the bathroom sink - this is the first cottage we visited that didn't have a BBQ provided - noisy in the morning (dogs barking) As you can see, the negatives outweigh the positives. Due to its size, I would recommend this cottage to a couple with a dog who don't like to cook on holiday. For a small family, like ourselves, with two teenage kids, one autistic and needing their own space, another afraid of dogs, it wasn't a great choice
Thank you for your positive and negative comments regarding your recent
stay at Heron cottage.
1. Small downstairs living/kitchen area: The living area space is a
kitchen and sitting room combined and can be a challenge for a family of
four. We are considering turning the cottage into a 3 person
accommodation. The 'creative' photographs were taken by a Sykes Cottages
photographer.
2. Poor water pressure from shower: The bathroom has recently been
refurbished with a new walk in shower. However the water system providing
the shower is gravity fed, we are currently looking into fitting a high
pressure system.
3. Shared garden: All our cottages are 'dog friendly'. All guests use
this shared facility. Signs have now been posted in the garden area to
remind our dog owners that they must keep their dogs on a lead and to
collect and dispose of their dog mess. We do regularly check the garden
for cleanliness, however we also must rely on our dog owners being
responsible.
4. Internet/WiFi: We have a very reliable and strong internet facility
that is fed by an EE Wireless router. Each cottage has its own dedicated
'hub' wired directly to the router, providing at least 12mbps download
speed (checked using 'Speedchecker'). We were texted by you one evening
informing us that you had no internet connection. We immediately
investigated and re-booted the router, which resolved your issue.
5. Kitchen not well equipped: The cottage kitchen equipment is as listed
as per Sykes Cottages inventory.
6. BBQ facilities: There is no safe and dedicated space for any form of
open BBQ cooking outside the cottages, therefore we do not provide a BBQ.
7. Dogs barking: All of our cottages are dog friendly.
8. Washing Machine/drying facilities: We will ensure that guests are
aware that our washing machine and tumble dryer room is a shared facility
and is available from 7:30am until 8pm in the evening as is listed in the
cottage information pack.
We are sorry and saddened by your negative comments. The cottage you chose
was obviously not suitable for your family's requirements. During your
stay with us you came into contact with us as owners on a daily basis.
Some of your negative comments could have been resolved during your stay.
Property Owner
